The measured results of building the program that way are eight straight appearances in the Division I tournament. The Elks will be back on the Ohio State Gray Course on Friday and Saturday trying to win for the first time under Dalton. He has a lot on his mind, but in all the logistics that come with a trip to state he paused to consider how senior Alana Miller epitomizes his goal.
Miller played on the junior varsity as a freshman. She advanced to the B team and played there for two years. This year, after a summer of playing 42 tournament rounds, she is the Elks’ No. 5 player and will play in her first state tournament. Her four teammates all played at state last year and Morgan Rodgers is playing in her fourth.
“Alana exemplifies what’s helped our program be successful,” Dalton said. “She’s worked as hard as anybody and dropped her average by seven strokes from last year.”
Dalton made sure Miller understood the climb she had to make to the first team was because of the program’s success at the state level.
“I had to tell her for three years, on a lot of teams you’d be a top-five player,” Dalton said. “But right now you’re number 14, and the next year you’re about number 10, then number seven and now she’s finally fifth.”
Dalton said he is probably as happy for Miller as anyone to make it to state because it was her only chance. She shot 79 at last week’s district tournament and counted as the Elks’ fourth score.
Another of Dalton’s goals is to give players an opportunity to play in college, and Miller will do that at Ohio Dominican. Rodgers will play at Ohio University, Leann Harker at Ashland and No. 6 player Abby Haywood, who played in regular season tournaments, will play at Wooster. Sanjana Reddy is good enough to play in college but has decided to focus solely on academics. Sophomore Brigid Nickell is the only non-senior in the lineup. As the No. 2 player she will have a chance to play in college.
Reddy also exemplifies what it means to play golf for the Elks. Knowing this would be her final year of competitive golf, she played in five summer tournaments anyway.
“It’s been awesome because she still works really hard to do well for the team to play at state,” Dalton said.
Rodgers is the unquestioned leader of the group and is one of the best and probably most consistently good players to come through the program. Marissa Wenzler has the distinction of state champion in 2018 with two rounds of 69 and a district score of 68. The next four best district rounds in program history belong to Rodgers.
Rodgers shot 75 and won the district tournament as a freshman. She’s beaten that score the past three years without winning: 74 as a sophomore and tied for third; 72 as a junior and tied for second; 72 as a senior and tied for second. She holds the school record for lowest round at 65, which she’s shot twice.
“When the pressure is on, I feel like she plays her best,” Dalton said. “If she has a good two days, she’s as good as anybody. But the competition of the top 10 or 12 girls is unbelievable.”
One of those contenders is Springboro sophomore Taylor Dunkle, who won districts with a 71 to lead the Panthers to a third-place finish and into their first state tournament since back-to-back appearances in 2014 and 2015.
“I think we’re gonna work really hard, and then we’re gonna rock it,” Dunkle said.
The Elks have rocked it at state for years, finishing third in 2015 and two shots behind the winner, third again in 2018 and 2020 and fourth last year. This is their 18th trip overall. Their only title came in 1995. The team to beat the past four years was four-time champion New Albany. The Eagles are back and led by freshman Mia Hammond who shot 67 at districts and has routinely been in the 60s in recent weeks.
New Albany shot 297 at its district tournament and Centerville shot 305, which was second best across the state. Dalton believes his team, which didn’t lose to any Southwest District team this season, can break through and win, but he said there are six teams in play, including Dublin Jerome, which shot 308 at districts. The Elks have beaten all the contenders this season and lost to them.
“If we have two really good days we’re as good as anybody else,” he said.
Miamisburg senior Ally Turner will also play in Columbus this weekend as an individual qualifier.
Boys Division I: Springboro’s boys team won the district tournament last week and is playing in its seventh state tournament and for the first time since 2015. The Panthers sent both boys and girls teams in 2014 and 2015 and are doing it again this year.
While it seems rare for a school to send both teams to state, that isn’t the case this year. Out of 60 available spots in the five state tournaments, Springboro is one of six schools to send both teams to state. Alter did it last weekend in Division II and Dublin Jerome is other to do it in Division I.
Springboro is led by senior Gavin Augenstein and junior Bradley Hinkel.
Bellbrook sophomore C.J. Scohy will play in his first state tournament after winning the district tournament with a score of 70.
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